


Home in Her Heart

by A Magiluna Stormwriter (ariestess)



Series: Brighter Destiny [1]
Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Bisexual Female Character, F/F, Female Characters, Female Friendship, Female Homosexuality, Female Protagonist, Female Relationships, Female-Centric, LGBTQ Female Character, POV Female Character
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-11-10
Updated: 2013-11-10
Packaged: 2018-01-01 01:14:22
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,353
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1038587
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ariestess/pseuds/A%20Magiluna%20Stormwriter
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>What if Regina had been spared the marriage to Leopold, but still married a lonely royal needing a wife?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Settiai](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Settiai/gifts).



> Date Written: 9-10 November 2013  
> Word Count: 3366  
> Written for: femslashex  
> Recipient: settai  
> Summary: What if Regina had been spared the marriage to Leopold, but still married a lonely royal needing a wife?  
> Spoilers: Consider the FTL back stories for both Abigail and Regina fair game, despite the fact that this is a very big canon divergence.  
> Warnings: No standard warnings apply.  
> Website: ShatterStorm Productions – Doggie Duo  
> Link to: http://bdkk.shatterstorm.net/  
> Archive: ShatterStorm Productions & AO3 only…all others ask for permission & we'll see…  
> Feedback: Constructive criticism is always welcome.
> 
> Author’s Disclaimer: "Once Upon a Time," the characters, and situations depicted are the property of Adam Horowitz, Edward Kitsis, Kitsis/Horowitz, and ABC Studios. This piece of fan fiction was created for entertainment not monetary purposes. Previously unrecognized characters and places, and this story, are copyrighted to the author. Any similarity to real persons, living or dead, is coincidental and not intended by the author. This site is in no way affiliated with "Once Upon a Time," ABC, or any representatives of the actors.
> 
> Author’s Notes: I will state flat out that when I saw the requests regarding Kathryn/Abigail and Regina, I was utterly mesmerized. I couldn't decide which of her prompts to use, though I was quite taken by the idea of Abigail being betrothed to Regina instead of Charming. In the end, that's what I went with. What's truly lovely about this is that I think I may be continuing in this particular universe with a whole series of stories. I'm liking how these two ended up gelling in my head.
> 
> The wedding vows came from DFWX.com, particularly their [non-religious ceremonies section](http://www.dfwx.com/master.html#non%20religious).
> 
> Dedication: My muses, as usual…
> 
> Beta: shatterpath always has my back. Any and all remaining mistakes are entirely my own fault.

"But, Mama, I don't _want_ \--"

"I don't care what you want, Regina." Her sharp words effectively cut me off from saying anything further. "And stop that fidgeting or the seamstresses will get your measurements wrong and you'll walk down the aisle in an ill-fitting gown unbecoming of your station in life."

Her shrewd eyes travel the length of my body, head to toe, and back up again to meet my gaze. There is steel in those eyes, and a fire that frightens me more than it ever has before. The maniacal need for power and status has leeched out in gushing waves that threaten to overwhelm me if I can't get away to safety.

"I--"

"Do you understand what this union will mean, my love?"

Now her voice is soft, a tender caress to my frazzled nerves. A hand cupping my cheek completes the circuit of tenderness that I crave, my resistance crumbling at her feet. She smiles sweetly, but her eyes are as unblinking and deadly as an Agrabahn viper's. Certain death is inevitable for vulnerable prey like me, but I can hope that it will be swift and painless.

"Milady, we have enough measurements for now."

She turns to stare at the servant who has dared to intrude upon our conversation, then smiles and nods. "Very well. Regina will need help getting out of her gown so it doesn't get ruined before her big day."

Before I can say anything, there's a knock at the door. It feels so strange to have people knocking to enter any public room in my home, but this is the way of our guests apparently. Soon enough, it'll be the way of my life, as well.

"Regina?"

Mother moves to the door, a sudden smile lighting up her face at the sound of my intended's voice. She opens it enough to slip out as she says, "My apologies, Majesty, but you mustn't see the bride in her dress before the wedding. It's bad luck and all."

I can hear their combined laughter as the door closes, then let myself relax slightly while the half dozen seamstresses work to remove my dress. They leave me to redress in my preferred riding gear. Heading out of the drawing room, I wander aimlessly about the castle grounds until I reach the stables. It tears at my heart to enter this place now, knowing the trauma that had transpired just two short nights ago, but I cannot stay away from Rocinante. He shouldn't have to suffer a change in his routine just because of…

"Regina?" That soft voice pulls me from absentmindedly braiding the strands of Rocinante's mane into several small braids. Glancing up, I fall into guileless pale blue eyes, belatedly offering a sheepish smile and curtsey. "Please, don't do that. There's no need."

"But--"

"We are to be married in a week's time, then expected to spend the rest of our lives together. I'd like to use this time to get to know the woman who will become my queen."

I can feel the blush heating up my cheeks at those words. "I would be honored, Your Majesty. Do you ride at all? I can have D--" I stutter over his name, swallowing past the lump in my throat. "My apologies, Your Majesty. I can have one of the stable hands saddle up another horse. I could show you the lay of my father's lands, if you'd like?"

A gentle hand settles over mine where they still fidget with Rocinante's mane. "First things first, my dear, you needn't call me 'Your Majesty' when we're alone. Yes, it will be required in public, but we'll cross that bridge when we need to, won't we? For now, I insist that you call me Abigail."

"Yes, Yo-- Abigail." The name is still foreign on my tongue, and I've a feeling I'll be tripping over it for some time to come. Rocinante's soft whinny makes me smile and pat the side of his neck. "Yes, handsome, I know. Abigail, may I introduce you to Rocinante? He has been my big baby from the moment of his birth. Rocinante, my boy, this is Abigail. She and I are to be married in a week." I dig into my pocket and pull out a carrot that I don't even remember having picked up from the kitchen before coming out here. Breaking off a piece, I hand it to Abigail. "He loves carrots and apples. If you give that to him, he'll probably adore you."

Abigail smiles and holds the chunk of carrot in her outstretched palm, other hand stroking down Rocinante's nose as he gobbles it up. Handing her additional pieces to feed him allows me the opportunity to truly study this woman to whom I've been pledged in marriage. She is tall and willowy with a cascade of blonde curls trailing down nearly to her waist. The urge to tangle my fingers in them like I do to Rocinante's mane is suddenly almost too strong to ignore, startling me in its intensity. She turns to look at me, a shy smile playing at her lips, and I realize that this is the most comfortable I've been around her since finding out I was betrothed.

"Tell me, Regina, can Rocinante manage both of us?" The curiosity must be strong in my eyes, causing her to laugh softly. "It would be easier to talk if we're closer, yes? No need to shout or worry about pacing two horses. Plus, I'd rather not bother the stable hands from doing their work if I don't have to."

Her frankness is a soothing balm to my soul, so reminiscent of Daniel's innocent honesty. I nod slowly and pull a crate over to Rocinante, then look at her curiously. "Would you rather ride in front or in back? I can accommodate either way." The words are no more than out of my mouth and I feel that blush returning with a vengeance. "Oh, I--"

"It's fine, Regina," she says with a soft chuckle. "Take the forward position. Rocinante's your horse and I'm taller than you are. I think we'll fit better that way, don't you?"

Rather than answer, I easily hoist myself up onto his broad back, then motion Abigail toward the barrel. She smirks as she pushes off the crate to get up behind me, arms automatically settling around my waist. Surprised by the warmth of her body against my back, I urge Rocinante out of the stable and past the pastures before letting him work into a gentle gallop. Abigail moves behind me as if we share one body, anticipating Rocinante's movements every bit as accurately as I do. We slow down as we near the old oak, but I try not to linger overly long, the pain still fresh in my heart.

"You don't have to tell me about whoever it is that your heart mourns for," she says softly, breath warm against my ear as she leans forward, "but I hope that one day a small part of it can be home to me, too."


	2. Chapter 2

**one week later**

"Love is given to us by our family or by our friends. We learn to love by being loved. Learning to love and living together is one of the greatest challenges of life, and is the shared goal of a married life."

I glance at the priest my father requested for this ceremony, the man he has trusted all of his life. He married my parents and presided over my christening. It hurts that he is the same man that would have performed this same ceremony for me and Frederick. Taking a deep breath, I set aside those thoughts and return my attention to my bride. She is beautiful as she stands before me in the ostentatiously demure ivory gown covered in pearls and crystals. The color accentuates the dusky caramel of Regina's skin and, even through the veil, I can see that it deepens her eyes to the same shade as Rocinante's coat. I offer her an encouraging smile and squeeze her hands, hating that she acquiesced to her mother's demands for the full length gloves.

"Do you, Princess Abigail Selene Kathryn, accept Princess Regina Beatrice as your wife, to live together in marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, and honor her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, so long as you both shall live?"

"I do so accept Regina as my wife to share this life as we are allowed."

He turns to face Regina and I can see her paling slightly under her veil. "And do you, Princess Regina Beatrice, accept Princess Abigail Selene Kathryn as your wife, to live together in marriage? Will you love her, comfort her, and honor her, in sickness and in health, in sorrow and in joy, so long as you both shall live?"

"I d--" Her voice cracks slightly, and she flushes as she clears her throat, flinching faintly at the glare even I can feel aimed at her from my almost mother-in-law. I squeeze her hands again, heartened when she returns the gesture. "I do so accept Abigail as my wife to share this life as we are allowed."

The words fade into the background again as we exchange our rings, reaffirming our commitment to this marriage, and then the priest is binding our hands with the same silk cord that had bound my parents' hands. Feeling the connection to my long-dead mother again is a soothing balm in this hectic day. Even as Regina and I have grown closer over this past week, I am still nervous about how this union will be viewed by the people. Two women marrying is incredibly rare, but not unheard of, particularly in a purely political union. That my bride is of magical stock may assist us in producing the required children when the time comes. It's only when I feel the cord slithering away from my hand that I return to the ceremony at hand.

"Princess Abigail, Princess Regina, as I have duly witnessed the exchange of your, as well as the giving of rings and the joining of your hands, it is my honor to pronounce you bonded in matrimony. At this time, you may share the first kiss of marriage."

With slow, deliberate movements, I reach up to lift the veil from her face. The tension and nerves are obvious in those dark, expressive eyes. Smoothing the material down over her hair, my hands glide around to gently cup her face in my hands and I lean in to press my lips against hers. The tip of her tongue darts out to glide across her lips just beforehand, making me smile more broadly. Regina tenses the slightest bit at that first chaste kiss then, as she starts to lean back, I follow and initiate a second kiss. This one is soft, gentle, and she parts her lips to sigh, allowing me to deepen it ever so slightly. We've kissed a few times in the past week of growing closer in preparation for this day and all the days and years to follow. This feels different. There's an emotion floating between us, surrounding us. Definite affection has grown in such a short time, given that we're both still grieving our lost true loves. As her tongue strokes across mine almost timidly, I get the impression that perhaps affection can become more with time and patience.

"We have all the time in the world, my wife," I whisper as I pull back from the kiss to rest my forehead against hers. And I know it for the soul-deep truth that it is.

*****

The feast is extravagant, of course, as money truly is no issue for my father. Cora is entirely in her element, from what I've learned of her so far. Poor Henry follows along behind the woman like whipped dog. I can see many similarities between my father-in-law and my new bride. Neither deserves the treatment that woman gives them.

Father comes closer with a smile. "And where is your lovely bride, Abigail? It's time for the tributes and dancing."

"She's--" I glance around, trying to remember when I last saw Regina, then smile at Father. "I'm sure she just went to get some fresh air. It's been an emotional day for both of us. Let me go find her, all right?"

He nods and I head out toward the veranda to coax my skittish bride back inside for just a little more of the festivities before we can retire to our much quieter suite of rooms. Passing Henry, I smile and wave. If I can figure out how to do it, I'll make sure he stays here in our castle, rather than going back with that conniving harridan he married.

"Please leave me alone."

The terror in Regina's voice spurs me on until I see her cowering against a wall. She's got an arm up defensively, and then a hand reaches out to grab her. I move cautiously, not sure who it is, other than being clearly masculine, as his voice then confirms.

"You should be _my_ wife, girl," he snarls, "and mother to my poor Snow. This isn't a real marriage."

"It's a real marriage." Even as close as I am, I can barely make out her words. "The priest solemnized it. We are married."

"It's not a real marriage," he says again. "Nothing good can come of two women married. Then again, with Midas' only daughter, his only child, married to a woman, there will be no children to inherit the kingdom when the two of you meet your untimely demises. I could take over the kingdom and expand--"

"Do you formally declare war on my kingdom then, Leopold?" I ask, stepping around the corner to face them. The relief on Regina's face is palpable, and I smile briefly at her. "If so, I can tell my father and have the formal announcement made with the tributes."

"You know _nothing_ , Princess Abigail." The disfiguring sneer matches his ugly tone, and he pulls Regina closer to him. "Regina should be mine. Her mother made deals with _me_ first."

I nod slowly, then relief floods my body as I notice two of Father's personal guards coming closer. "If that is your last word on the matter, Leopold, then I'll have no other recourse than to inform my father of your intention to declare war. With that in mind, you are no longer a welcomed guest in this kingdom." The guards come close enough for Leopold to register their proximity, causing him to drop his grip on Regina's arm. I already know that if I remove that glove, there will be a livid red mark on her flesh. "Guards, please escort this man and his entire retinue from the borders of our land. They are no longer welcomed here under penalty of death."

"Now wait a moment!" he splutters.

"Is there a problem here?"

I turn an even more relieved smile on my father as he steps closer, the movement giving Regina the courage to come to my side. She huddles in my arms, shaking from the stress of the situation. I have to wonder exactly what he said and did to her before I happened upon them. Father looks past us to where the guards have Leopold by the arms, then quirks a brow at me.

"Father, it would appear that Leopold has made intentions of declaring war on our kingdom because of my marriage to Regina. I was just instructing the guards to remove him and his entire party from our lands so that you could make the formal declaration of war."

He chuckles and shakes his head. "Abigail, take your lovely bride back inside and get her a goblet of mulled wine." He presses gentle kisses to his gloved fingers that then briefly touch our cheeks. "This is meant to be a day of celebration for the two of you. Think nothing else of this encounter. I'll take care of it from here."

*****

The walk down the corridor to our suite of rooms is leisurely, only partially because Regina is both exhausted and slightly intoxicated. Given how things went with Leopold, Father and I made sure that she was always in possession of mulled wine or something to eat. I daresay my poor bride hasn't had that much food or wine in her life, a fact her mother brought up on more than one occasion over the course of the evening.

Once we reach our rooms, she stands there for a long moment and stares at the bed we will begin sharing as of this night. Taking my time to change into my sleeping gown, I let her explore the room to find some level of comfort here. Finally, I stand behind her, arms gently wrapping around her waist, just as when we'd ridden Rocinante together.

"Why don't you get changed, then we can get some rest?"

She turns to face me, eyes wide in surprise, but I can still see the faintest hint of her earlier terror still lurking there. "But it's our marriage night. Mama warned me that if I don't do my duty to prove our marriage is consummated tonight--"

"Shh, Regina." My fingers press lightly to her lips. "That is truer in a traditional marriage between a man and a woman. And while we have ways to go through the motions of such consummation, there are always ways for the two of us to work around that." My smile is broad and encouraging. "Besides, they wouldn't even be checking until the morning. We can take our precautions tonight to ensure that your mother is satisfied without doing anything you aren't ready for. So go change into your sleeping gown while I take care of things here."

Nodding gratefully, Regina moves off to change into her sleeping gown while I pull out the small vial of blood from one of the pigs used for the feast. Pulling back the covers, I pour just enough to satisfy even my mother-in-law's draconian need to verify her daughter is "properly deflowered" on our wedding night. I will do nothing that would make Regina uncomfortable, not even under pain of death. I've come to feel too much affection for her to do that. When the time is right, we will consummate our marriage, no matter how long it takes. I am clearly far more versed in the ways of lovemaking than she is, between my handmaidens and Frederick, and I'd like her first time to be as special as it was made for me.

"Is that--?"

"Pig's blood. I told you I'd take care of things. We will do this in our own time, particularly since a child is not the automatic outcome here. You are safe, Regina, and I will find a way to make you understand that."

I hold out a hand to her, smiling when she comes willingly into my arms again. Our lips meet in the latest of a series of gentle kisses exchanged since becoming married. Her lips part easily under mine with a soft sigh, but I don't let the kiss linger overlong, particularly when she yawns and flushes a deep crimson. Before she can apologize, I help her into the bed and stiffen only slightly in surprise as she shifts to mold her body along my side under the covers. Another languidly exploratory kiss has my sweet young bride relaxing even more until my hand glides from the small of her back around to rest against her flat belly. She tenses for a few seconds, but doesn't pull away from my touch or my kiss, eventually relaxing enough for me to massage gentle, ever-widening circles that manage to brush against the underside of her breasts and the apex of her thighs. Once again, a jaw-cracking yawn pulls her away from the kiss, so I press my lips to her forehead.

"Rest now, my sweet bride. We can continue this in the morning."

TBC?


End file.
